Warmth
by Lady Helsing
Summary: A collection of One Shots / Short Story around the relationship of Keith and Allura. Sometimes it's romantic and sometimes it's not. Not all stories will have a title.
1. Chapter 1

The first time she had seen Keith without his shirt on was the first time he had put on the red armor. Well the long black under armor to be exact. The others had changed in the designated area, but Keith had walked out while still slipping the armor on.

Allura had watched as he quickly-effortlessly-slipped his arms through the sleeves and glided the rest of the fabric over his pale, athletic, torso. Lance had made some comment about 'dressing in front of a lady,' Keith being Keith only ignored him.

What struck her about that first moment was just how much he didn't care. Pidge (for not so obvious reasons at the time) had insisted on changing in a closed room. Shiro, Keith and Hunk only needed to be shown the area, Lance only went when after casting her one of smiles. But the red paladin was the only one to come out without being fully dressed.

The sight of this didn't make the princess blush or anything. No she wouldn't say that. Really what had surprised her was just how… well, small he looked without his jacket or black shirt on. Yes he had some muscle, that was obvious, yet it was more a suggestion that they were there.

Also why did humans look so plain with no clothes on? Alteans didn't just have those markings on their cheeks.

The second time she saw Keith without a shirt, she had been too tired to notice all the scars he had. It was when they were running from Zarkon before she'd been forced to admit he had once been the black paladin.

They had all been too wound up to sleep; she had decided to try locating something again when she past his room. He had left the door of his room open, saw her and called out to her. It startled her that time because she was half sleep. Keith was still just so calm about it too. She told him what she was doing; unlike Shiro-Keith didn't tell her to rest, he just told her to be careful and not push herself. He was going to take a bath, but was disappointed to find out the ship didn't have a bathtub (just standard showers).

That was when Allura told him about the pool. Oh how his eyes lit up at that. She didn't stick around to see him off, only told him how to get there.

The third time… was very hard.

Shiro had just returned with Keith from the Mamora Base. The red paladin needed immediate medical attention. He could stand just fine at first, soon though his wounds began to hurt too much-not that he admitted it. Shiro had helped him remove that accursed Mamora armor right when Allura ran into the room. She only saw him from the back, but she could clearly make out every single fresh bruise, cut, and scar he had received there.

It wasn't until both she and Shiro helped him into the pod, that the princess found out about Keith's Galera blood.

She would forever feel so guilty for the way she had treated him.

The fourth time she saw him without a shirt was just before he left the team. She had originally gone to give him yet another piece of her mind. While she had been told the recent things Voltron had done, the shows, helping rebuild homes, giving food, and such wasn't Keith's thing-as leader this was his obligation. Not to run off with the Mamora every time they asked him too.

Alliances like the Blades were important too, but this was starting to get out of hand in her opinion.

She had thrown open the door the door to him room only to stop short when she saw him. Keith was laying on his bed completely passed out. He looked like he had been in yet another grueling fight. Okay he didn't looked it, he had bandages on his ribs and an arm to prove it.

That was when she really got to look at him.

Keith always looked so much bigger to her in the armors or with his jacket on. Without them he just looked so small and venerable. Especially now.

While Allura had noticed the muscle definition to him it just wasn't as obvious to the eye as it was on Shiro.

She didn't know how long she was there or really why. The princess just looked at him. Watching him sleep without a care in the world. His small, yet firm, chest rising and falling as he breathed. Keith's skin was so pale compared to the rest of the group, the deep scars on his sides and shoulders were paler still. A fresh deep purple bruise covered his right clavicle. There was something that looked like a blood stain on his left shoulder.

Allura looked at this and didn't understand. She knew that when a girl saw a boy without a shirt she was supposed to swoon and have that flighty feeling in her stomach. Quizknack, she'd experienced that feeling a few times when she was younger and had seen her father's troops training. But not once had she felt like that when she'd see Keith.

What she felt was a little curiosity bust mostly she felt fear. Fear for him. Keith was an aggressive fighter who didn't bother to hide it. And that part of him only showed when he was fighting... or when he was the way he was now. Why did this hurt her so much?

She had seen all five of the paladins greatly injured over their time together. Yet every time she saw Keith with no shirt it was like an extra slap in the face.

Shortly after, she had left the room.

That was the last time she saw him without a shirt.

There are still times when she finds herself wondering just how many bruises or cuts he has gained since then. Or what others he might be hiding.


	2. Chapter 2

Allura sat on her bed, the events of the past few hours weighing heavily on her mind.

Shiro had done it. He had reformed his bond with the Black Lion and it almost seemed like the team was whole again. Shiro was far more diligent in what the team needed than Keith had been, this would likely be far better for the team in the long run.

It wasn't that Keith had done a bad job as leader. Sure it got off to a rocky start yet it worked itself out. The problem had been in the different leadership styles. Allura had been trying for weeks to make Keith focus more on helping build the coalition, but he'd never really been on board doing the small important things that needed to be done. Acts of charity and the shows to boost moral... it wasn't his thing. Shiro had been for it (from the sidelines) from day one.

Keith was a mad of action but Allura wouldn't call him a show off. And in a way, that's very much what they did at these shows, they showed off. It got the crowds excited and brought far more allies and resources to Voltron than fighting alone could. While he had acknowledged that; he still made it clear he wasn't...what was the term? A show pony.

At first that's what she thought drove him closer to the Blades of Mamora. And maybe it was. She learned early on that if Keith didn't want to do something it was very hard to convince him otherwise.

And now he was gone. He had left them to join Blades of Mamora in earnest.

Shiro was already busily preparing more acts of charity, chivalry, and shows with Coran and Lance.

Allura was torn on how she felt.

On the one hand, Shiro was what the team needed right now as a leader. Someone who was both good on that battlefield and with diplomatic matters. He had more than proven himself on both fronts.

On the other… Keith was now in the hands of Blades of Mamora. True they were powerful allies who the team relied heavily on. Still Allura had seen how they treated their own when things got dodgy. She was afraid for lost paladin and what they might do to him. Or not do.

As things stood the princess had no idea when she's see him face to face. There was a real fear that she may not see him again…

Her other fear was when she saw him aga in… she wouldn't recognize him.


End file.
